Islam, America & South Asia

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ABOUT THE BOOK Recent developments have placed Islam at the forefront in America. The Administration, the news media and the academic community have all been focused almost exclusively on Islam But despite greater interest. Understanding of Islam and Muslim world remains limited and selective. Consequently Islam and Muslims have been reduced to stereotypes of Islam against the west. Islam as a world religion has been reduced to Islamic fundamentalism Islam already stigmatized in the west, is once more equated with violence and terrorism.

Is Islam a religion of peace or violence? Is there something special in Islam which breeds terrorism more than other religions? Is liberal democracy basically compatible with Islam? What is Islam's concept of man and the rights of individual? How the accountability to God can be combined with the accountability to the people in a government? Is there a church in Islam? What is the Islamic concept of Jihad? What are US misperceptions about Islam? What can the US do to combat anti Americanism in Muslim World? The book seeks to find answers to these and similar questions.

The book is a serious attempt to present a true picture of Islam. It highlights the basic tenets of Islam which unfortunately have not been quite visible in the current debate over Islam and terrorism. The volume tries to dispel the notion of Islam as a bloodthirsty and violent religion" that is gaining currency in the western world. Most of the chapters are responses of a "thinking Muslim scholar to some of the Islamic concepts and theories. The essays on Democracy, Jihad, Human Rights provide a realistic analysis of these concepts which have occupied a center stage in the discourses on Islam. The volume aims at demolishing certain myths about Islam and Muslims.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. M. Saleem Kidwal b, Lucknow, MA.. Ph.D. in Political Science, Muslim University, Aligarh. Taught Post graduate classes at Kashmir University. Faculty Member, Centre for American Studies, SIS, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi since 1990, Fulbright Scholar in Residence at Villanova University. Pennsylvania, USA 2001-2002. Delivered lectures at various American Universities and colleges as Visiting Specialist on Islam under Fulbright Programme 2004. Author of two books. Contributed chapters to several volumes and score of research papers and articles to various leading newspapers and reputed periodicals. Won a good number of awards, prizes and certificates of achivement in debates, essay writing and general knowledge competitions including 2 gold medals. Participated in several TV and radio programs on current affairs. Attended a host of international and national seminars, conference and workshops. Travelled extensively and visited Pakistan, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Austria, U K., France and USA. Director (Honey.) International Centre for Peace Studies, New Delhi.

PREFACE Islam happens to be one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted religions of the world. On the one hand there are elements who are anti Islam through and through. They deliberately portray a distorted picture of Islam. Maligning Islam is their objective in which they have achieved considerable success after the 9/11 tragedy. On the other hand there are Muslims who have tarnished the image of Islam either intentionally or unconsciously by their rhetoric and actions. Thus, Islam is facing problems both from the foes and friends. Consequently, Islam is being depicted in the media and even in the academic circles as the religion of war, vengeance hatred and destruction. It is misconstrued as a fanatical religion which is intolerant of other faiths, which establishes a male-dominated society and which encourages and promotes terrorism. Islam as a world civilization has been reduced to Islamic fundamentalism.

Islam is not a religion in the limited sense of the term. It is a complete code of conduct, a comprehensive and all-embracing way of life. It covers all aspects of human existence. Like all other world religions Islam promotes peace, love and harmony among people. Islam is essentially a set of revealed values designed to guide humanity on the path of enlightenment and virtue. It emphasizes liberal values such as religious tolerance, freedom of conscience and speech, civil liberties, social justice, public welfare and intellectual development. However, it has been appropriated by political and extremist groups that are using it as an ideology to pursue a counter hegemonic agenda both within the Muslim world and against the non-Muslim world, especially the US. Extremist interpretations of Islam by jihadis are not only creating a global fitna (crisis) but are also corrupting the essence of Islam and worsening the social, political, economic and cultural crisis in the Muslim world.

**Contents and Sample Pages**